This invention relates to an embroidering machine capable of storing stitch data for realizing an embroidering operation corresponding to an embroidery design for each embroidery design, storing respective control data for changing the stitch data or for controlling the embroidery operation associated with the stitch data and reading out stitch data and control data for a desired embroidery design to perform execution and control of the embroidering operation in accordance with the read out data.
The invention relates also to an embroidering machine having stitch data memory means capable of reading and writing for storing stitch data corresponding to an embroidery design and reading stitch data for a desired embroidery design from this stitch data memory means for controlling the embroidering operation and, more particularly, to an embroidering machine capable of combining plural sets of stitch data separately recorded in an external recording device such as a paper tape into stitch data of a single continuous design and storing and reading this stitch data in and from the stitch data memory means.
The invention relates also to an embroidering machine capable of performing data editing such as change, deletion and insertion with respect to stitch data of an embroidery design stored in a memory at a desired stitch thereof and, more particularly, to an embroidering machine capable of temporarily stopping rotation of the embroidering machine main shaft at a stitch of the embroidery design in the course of the embroidering operation and executing data editing with respect to a desired stitch associated with the stitch at which the rotation has stopped thereby enabling data editing in a simple manner while confirming the actual embroidery design.
The invention relates also to an embroidering machine capable of performing data editing such as change or modification with respect to stitch data at a desired stitch in an embroidery design and, more particularly, to an embroidering machine capable of displaying a desired embroidery design on a screen of a display and changing or setting with respect to a desired stitch of the stitch data while confirming the embroidery design on the screen of the display.
The invention relates also to an embroidering machine having a communication interface and, more particularly, to an embroidering machine capable of transmitting and receiving stitch data for realizing the embroidering operation and respective control data for controlling the embroidering operation associated with this stitch data between the embroidering machine and an external device such as a computer having a communication function.
In an automatic embroidering machine, stitch data for various embroidery designs are stored in an external device such as a paper tape, the external device such as a paper tape storing stitch data for a desired embroidery design is set and this stitch data is transferred to a memory in the embroidering machine and stored therein. Data stored in the external device as data associated with the embroidery design has heretofore been only stitch data for realizing an embroidering operation corresponding to the embroidery design (this stitch data is data concerning an embroidering operation for one stitch including X, Y data designating the moving amount of an embroidery frame for each stitch and function data designating operations of the embroidering machine such as changing of color of thread, stopping of the embroidering machine main shaft and jump at required stitches) and this stitch data is transferred to the internal memory and stored therein. In the automatic embroidering design, stitch data stored in the internal memory is read out and the embroidering operation is executed in accordance with the read out data.
The automatic embroidering machine can also store such stitch data with respect to plural embroidery designs in its internal memory and read out stitch data for a desired embroidery design selectively from the stored stitch data.
It is a recent tendency in automatic embroidering machines to have various functions concerning changing of an embroidery design or control of an embroidering operation. Such changing and controlling functions include:
(1) designation of order of changing color of thread
(2) conversion of X, Y data designating X, Y moving amount of the embroidery frame in stitch data in accordance with parameters designating reducing, enlarging or rotation for reducing, enlarging or rotating the embroidery design
(3) selection of running/rest of each embroidering machine head in a multi-head type embroidering machine
(4) designation of order of stitching of an embroidery design when plural embroidery designs are combined and embroidered into a continuous design
(5) repeating of stitching operation of the same embroidery design
(6) setting of the offset amount of the embroidery frame in accordance with the mounting position of a boring knife when a needle position at which the boring knife is mounted has been selected.
In the prior art embroidering machines, setting of such data concerning changing and controlling functions is made only by setting means provided in the embroidering machine and the operation of the embroidering machine is directly controlled in accordance with contents set by this setting means. In other words, data concerning the changing and controlling functions are set as data belonging exclusively to the embroidering machine and are treated as irrelevant to stitch data for each embroidery design. If, accordingly, it is desired to set data concerning changing and controlling functions in relation to an embroidery design, data concerning desired changing and controlling functions must be set by setting means before the embroidering operation for each embroidery design is made each time.
For this reason, each time a design to be embroidered is changed, data concerning desired changing and controlling functions must be set again. This involves a troublesome operation and therefore is burdensome to the operator of the embroidering machine.
It is also a recent tendency in automatic embroidering machines that the size of design to be embroidered and the number of colors used increase with a result that the amount of stitch data for an embroidery design also increases. Since memory capacity of a normal paper tape is about seventy thousand stitches at the maximum, in a case where this stitch data is recorded on a paper tape used as an external memory device, stitch data exceeding this memory capacity must be divided into plural data and recorded separately on plural paper tapes. In the prior art embroidering machines, a series of stitch data is picked up by a paper tape input device from the plural paper tapes each as a set of stitch data and stored in the memory of the embroidering machine and the embroidering operation is performed for each set of stitch data. There is also a prior art embroidering machine which has a data memory capable of reading and writing and storing stitch data of plural designs and has a memory editing function for editing stitch data of the plural designs stored in the data memory. In this embroidering machine, stitch data of plural designs stored in the data memory are connected together into stitch data of a series of designs by utilizing the memory editing function and the embroidering operation is performed in accordance with this stitch data.
In the above described prior art embroidering machine in which a series of stitch data are divided and recorded on plural paper tapes and these data are input respectively as a set of stitch data from the paper tape input device and stored in the memory of the embroidering machine for enabling the embroidering operation to be performed with respect to each set of stitch data, changing of the embroidery design is required as many times as the number of stitch data recorded on the paper tapes for embroidering the series of designs. This changing operation is troublesome because control data must be set for each corresponding stitch data for which stitching is to be executed and hence poses a problem in realizing an efficient embroidering work. In the automatic embroidering machine having the memory editing function, it is a troublesome work to edit plural stitch data stored in the data memory and, besides, an extra construction is required for realizing the memory editing function with resulting increase in the manufacturing cost.
In a case where contents of stitch data stored in the data memory are to be changed in the prior art automatic embroidering machine, such changing operation is executed in an editing work mode provided exclusively for this purpose which is entirely different from a running operation mode for executing actual embroidering operation. If, therefore, it is desired to perform the data editing after confirming the actual embroidering design, the embroidering machine must be operated once in the running operation mode to execute the embroidering operation from the start position of the embroidery design and thereafter the operation mode must be switched to the exclusively provided editing work mode to execute a desired data editing processing.
Thus, in the prior art embroidering machine, for changing contents of stitch data stored in the data memory, the operation mode of the embroidering machine must be set to a special editing work mode so that changing of contents of stitch data cannot be made while the running operation mode is continued in the course of the embroidering operation. For changing contents of the stitch data, by way of example, actual embroidering operation is executed over the entire design in accordance with the stitch data and parts of the embroidery where changing or modification is necessary are established by confirming the completed embroidery design and then the operation mode of the embroidering machine is changed to a special editing work mode for executing an editing work for changing or modifying the stitch data of required parts. Further, for confirming the edited stitch data, the operation mode of the embroidering machine is changed to the running operation mode to start the embroidering operation from the start position of the embroidery design. Accordingly, the editing work is separated from the embroidering operation and design confirming operation with a result that the embroidery work as a whole becomes complicated requiring skill and time.
Further, in the prior art embroidering machine, an operation for changing and controlling stitch data is made only by setting means provided in the embroidering machine and the operation of the embroidering machine is controlled directly by contents set by this setting means. In other words, data concerning changing and controlling functions is set as data exclusively belonging to the embroidering machine so that data concerning desired changing and controlling functions must be set by the setting means each time before the embroidering operation of each embroidery design is made.
There is also proposed an automatic embroidering machine capable of transmitting and receiving stitch data concerning an embroidery design between the embroidering machine and an external device through a communication line. The data transmitted and received, however, is limited to stitch data and, as to control data, data concerning desired changing and controlling functions must be set each time the stitch data is changed.
In the embroidering operation, therefore, control data concerning desired changing and controlling functions must be manually set each time the stitch data is changed. This is troublesome and imposes burden on the operator.
Further, in the prior art automatic embroidering machine, it is entirely impossible to conserve or edit once established control data in an external device.